"Undercover Mosque"

Evan Harris: To ask the Solicitor-General what discussions she has had with the Crown Prosecution Service over the decision of the west midlands Crown Prosecution Service and west midlands police to refer the programme "Undercover Mosque" to Ofcom; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: The matter was referred to Ofcom by West Midlands Police and not the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). There were no discussions about the issue between my office and the CPS.

Domestic Violence

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government has taken to protect people from domestic violence, since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 4 December 2007
	Since 1997, the Government have been working to: increase the early identification of (and intervention with) victims of domestic violence; ensure that effective advice and support is provided to victims of domestic violence; improve the criminal justice response to domestic violence; and to manage perpetrators to reduce risk.
	These aims have been underpinned by the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 and an annual cross-Government National Delivery Plan for Domestic Violence (since 2005) to progress this work both nationally and locally.
	The following table sets out some of the key steps that the Government have taken to tackle domestic violence. Main themes have included:
	(i) strengthening the criminal justice response to domestic violence through the development and expansion of Specialist Domestic Violence Courts to 64 systems in England and Wales, ensuring that domestic violence coordinators are located in every police force, probation and Crown Prosecution Service area, and rolling out perpetrator programmes to all probation areas; and
	(ii) improving the safety of identified high risk victims of domestic violence through the development of Independent Domestic Violence Adviser services and Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences, with over 100 areas currently supported.
	This work has had a significant impact: according to the British Crime Survey the prevalence of domestic violence has fallen by 59 per cent. between 1995 and 2006-07.
	
		
			  Summary of steps the Government have undertaken to protect people from domestic violence since 1997 
			   Key steps 
			 1999 Women Ministers launch 'Living Without Fear', a national strategic approach to violence against women 
			 2002 Order made under Housing Act 1996 to extend priority need for accommodation to people vulnerable because they have fled their home because of violence 
			 2002 Rape Action Plan published 
			 2003 Home Office launch Safety and Justice Consultation Paper 
			 2003 Launch of 24 hour National Domestic Violence free phone helpline, run in partnership between Women's Aid and Refuge 
			 2003 Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 
			 2003 Sexual Offences Act 2003 
			 2003-04 Development of 14 Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) 
			 2003-06 Gender equality public service agreement (PSA) to include domestic violence measure 
			 2004 National awareness raising campaign launched for domestic violence 
			 2004 Domestic Violence, Crime & Victims Act 2004 
			 2004 United Nations Resolution on Honour Killings, jointly presented by UK and Turkey 
			 2004 Costs of domestic violence research published 
			 2005 March is named National Domestic Violence Month 
			 2005 Official launch of Forced Marriage Unit 
			 2005 National Report and National Delivery Plan launched 
			 2005 Launch of Corporate Alliance Against Domestic Violence 
			 2005 Domestic Abuse Strategy for Wales launched 
			 2005 Development of Northern Ireland 24 hour free phone Domestic Violence Helpline, open to anyone affected by domestic violence 
			 2005-06 25 Specialist Domestic Violence Courts announced to be established and operating by the end of 2005-06 
			 2005-06 100 Independent Domestic Violence Advisors trained; 70 trained in 2006-07 
			 2005 'Tackling Violence At Home' strategy for domestic violence and abuse launched in Northern Ireland 
			 2006 Over 400 refuges in the UK 
			 2005-06 Consultation on creation of specific offence of forced marriage; responses have been published 
			 2006-08 Gender Equality PSA to include domestic violence measure 
			 2006-07 First national conference for Domestic Violence Co-ordinators held 
			 2006-07 Progress Report on National Delivery Plan published 
			 2006-07 Homicide Review guidance published for consultation 
			 2006/07 Publication of health professionals' domestic violence handbook 
			 2006-07 Development and funding of more Sexual Assault Referral Centres 
			 2006-07 Funding of Independent Domestic Violence Advisors and Independent Sexual Violence Advisors 
			 2006-07 Selection of further Specialist Domestic Violence Court systems, bringing total supported by national Programme to 64 
			 2006 Northern Ireland join the Corporate Alliance Against Domestic Violence 
			 2006 Publication and distribution of workplace Guidance on Domestic Violence to Northern Ireland employers 
			 2006 Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland (PPS) launch its policy on prosecution of cases of domestic violence 
			 2006-07 Pilot MARAC in the Antrim area, Northern Ireland, continuing following evaluation 
			 2007-08 Support given to over 100 areas to enable the MARAC model to be rolled out 
			 2007-08 Pilot of sanctuary scheme in the Ballymena/ Antrim area, Northern Ireland

Prosecutions: Licensing

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) prosecutions and  (b) convictions there were in Easington constituency for the illegal sale of alcohol from off licence premises in each year since 2000.

Vernon Coaker: Data on prosecutions and convictions held by the Ministry of Justice are not broken down by constituency area. The data does show that no prosecutions took place in Easington local criminal justice area or North Durham (which Easington was amalgamated into in 2002), for the illegal sale of alcohol in off-licence premises from 2000-06.

Sports: Schools

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department are taking to encourage school students to participate in competitive sport.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Increasing inter and intra-school sporting opportunities is a key component of the National School Sport Strategy, which is delivered jointly by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
	The 2006-07 School Sport Survey showed that:
	98 per cent. of schools held a competitive sports day,
	58 per cent. of pupils were involved in intra-school competition, and
	35 per cent. of all pupils were involved in inter-school competition.
	Earlier this year, the Prime Minister announced extra funding to extend the number of Competition Managers to at least 225 by the beginning of 2009. Competition Managers will work with Governing Bodies and School Sport Associations to create a stronger framework for competitive sport and increase the amount of competitive sport in primary and secondary schools.
	As part of this work, our Secretary of State (James Purnell) has chaired two summits with Governing Bodies and School Sport Associations to discuss the development of world class junior competition frameworks in their sports.
	In addition, we are introducing a new National School Sport Week, championed by Dame Kelly Holmes, to encourage all schools to run sports days and tournaments. This will build on the success of the UK School Games and its impact on motivating young people to take part in competitive sport.

Prisoners: Literacy

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the assessed level of numeracy and literacy rates were amongst prisoners in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The following tables provide a breakdown of the assessed levels of numeracy and literacy rates among prisoners in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. The figures are for each of the financial years listed and for the current year up to November 30. It is expected that literacy and numeracy assessments for the full year 2007-08 will reach approximately 1,400.
	
		
			  Numeracy 
			   Total number of assessments  Below entry level  Entry Level 1  Entry Level 2  Entry Level 3  Level 1 + above 
			 April 2003 to March 2004 1,403 85 130 317 509 362 
			 April 2004 to March 2005 1,423 110 118 331 475 389 
			 April 2005 to March 2006 1,486 112 131 352 513 378 
			 April 2006 to March 2007 1,512 118 73 273 588 460 
			 April 2007 to 20 November 2007 828 79 37 177 301 234 
		
	
	
		
			  Literacy 
			   Total number  of assessments  Below entry level  Entry Level 1  Entry Level 2  Entry Level 3  Level 1 + above 
			 April 2003 to March 2004 1,404 57 65 237 581 464 
			 April 2003 to March 2004 1,421 76 97 236 523 489 
			 April 2003 to March 2004 1,480 90 75 235 590 490 
			 April 2006 to March 2007 1,508 116 49 202 621 520 
			 April 2007 to 20 November 2007 833 77 29 115 329 283

Construction: Skilled Workers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that the National Skills Academy for Construction will create by 2016.

David Lammy: I have been asked to reply.
	The National Skills Academy for Construction (NSAfC) has been established to provide sector specific training not to create jobs. However, the NSAfC estimate that those joining the industry through apprenticeships and adult traineeships via the National Skills Academy for Construction projects could exceed 2,500 over the next nine years. In addition to new-comers to the industry, the NSAfC will be focusing on upskilling existing construction sector employees.

Partnership at Work Fund Programme

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the cost to his Department of administering the Partnership at Work Fund programme was in each year since 1999.

Patrick McFadden: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.

Defence Aviation Repair Agency: Gosport

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Defence Aviation Repair Agency at Fleetlands, Gosport.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 11 December 2007
	In my written ministerial statement of 25 July 2007,  Official Report, column 74WS, I confirmed that work was continuing to progress the sale option for DARA's rotary wing and components businesses. I also announced that Vector Aerospace was selected as the preferred bidder and that if sale did not show MOD best value for Defence then these business units would form part of a new defence support organisation being created by merging DARA's remaining businesses with ABRO.
	No decision has yet been taken as to whether the sale offers and delivers the best overall value for defence and provides a better long-term future for these businesses and their employees. We recognise the important role that all employees and Industry play in supporting the armed forces. Negotiations are continuing with Vector Aerospace and we will arrive at a final decision as soon as possible to remove uncertainty for DARA's rotary and components staff.

Helicopters: Procurement

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment his Department made of the capability of the EADS Eurocopter UH-145 to fulfil the light utility role prior to awarding the Future Lynx contract to Finmeccanica; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment his Department made of the capability of the US Sokorsky Seahawk to fulfil aspects of the capability role identified in the Future Rotorcraft Capability programme prior to awarding the Future Lynx contract to Finmeccanica; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether his Department considered procuring different helicopter types to fulfil separately the different capability requirements detailed in the Future Rotorcraft Capability programme prior to awarding the Future Lynx contract to Finmeccanica; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what alternatives to the Future Lynx helicopter his Department considered to fulfil the Battlefield Light Utility Helicopter requirement before awarding the contract; and what the average cost per helicopter was of each contract considered.

Bob Ainsworth: The Future Rotorcraft Capability (FRC) programme explored the capabilities of many different helicopter types from all major western helicopter manufacturers, including products from EADS Eurocopter and Sikorsky. It also explored whether certain helicopter types could contribute to more than one area of our overall capability need, thus helping reduce through-life costs, though the wide spectrum of tasks required of our helicopter fleet means that no single type is able to meet the required capability in full.
	The through-life military capability, cost and risk of various mixes of different helicopter types was assessed. These mixes included options that used different aircraft types to deliver the Land and Maritime capabilities now contracted to be provided by Future Lynx.
	This analysis concluded that, alongside other investments arising from the FRC programme, the delivery of the British Army's Battlefield Reconnaissance Helicopter (BRH) and the Royal Navy's Surface Combatant Maritime Rotorcraft (SCMR) through a single helicopter type (Future Lynx) provided the best combination of through-life military capability, cost and risk.
	I am withholding the information requested on our internal assessments of the average cost per helicopter as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what fuel with additives is being used for light  (a) class,  (b) class wheeled and  (c) class platform vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan; who is contracted to supply such fuel; what effect use of this fuel has had on fuel costs; how many engine breakdowns and write-offs have occurred attributed to use of such fuel in 2007; and what the cost of repairs and replacements arising has been.

Bob Ainsworth: In Iraq, Class A, B and C vehicles are fuelled using diesel (F-54) with no additives during the winter months. In the summer a 50/50 blend of diesel and aviation fuel (F-34) known as F-65 together with a lubricant additive, Lubrizol 539M, is used. The fuels are obtained from the US military in Kuwait under the UK-US Fuel Exchange agreement, with logistic support provided by two contractors. F-65 is approximately 11 per cent. more expensive than plain diesel.
	In Afghanistan, vehicles are operated in accordance with the NATO single fuel policy where this is technically feasible. The fuel is aviation fuel (F-34) (which has already been treated with AL41 Icing Inhibitor and AL61 Lubricity Improver) to which Lubrizol 539M is also added, the resulting mixture being referred to as F-63. A number of vehicle types are being fuelled with F-54 at certain locations for operational reasons, these include engineering plant, Warrior and CVR(T) vehicles. These fuels are provided under a NATO contract with a civilian contractor. In Afghanistan, F-34 is approximately two per cent. more expensive than F-54.
	No breakdowns have been apportioned to the use of any of these fuel types. During the transition from diesel to F-65 or F-63 use, there can be a transient increase in fuel filter use as the F-34 component has a cleansing effect on the engine.

Patrol Craft

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what maximum number of patrol days each River Class offshore patrol vessel may undertake  (a) operationally and  (b) under the terms of his Department's (i) agreement with Defra and (ii) the contract with Vosper Thornycroft.

Bob Ainsworth: The Royal Navy Plan specifies that each River Class vessel undertakes up to 230 Patrol Days each year depending on the requirement of the MOD/DEFRA contract. Remaining days are taken up by standoff (ie periods off task for activities such as handovers, stores replenishment and crew rest and recreation); training; passage and visits, and 45 days, including 25 for maintenance, which are owned by the VT Group plc, from whom the vessels are, leased.
	The current agreement with DEFRA does not specify the type(s) of vessels to be used but does state the proportion of total patrol days to be provided by Offshore Patrol Vessels. In 2007-08 800 patrol days are to be provided, of which 560 must be Offshore Patrol Vessel days.
	The contract with the VT Group plc does not include a maximum number of patrol days. It specifies that each of the three River Class patrol vessels must be available to the Royal Navy for 320 days per year.

Women: Political Life

Graham Allen: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps the Government is taking to increase the representation of women in political life.

Barbara Follett: I refer the hon. member to the answer given to the hon. Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Ms Clark).

Imprisonment

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recent discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on alternatives to imprisonment for women.

Barbara Follett: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Bridgend (Mrs. Moon).

Antisocial Behaviour: South West Region

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people comprise the respect squad sent to the West Country; what work the Squad will undertake; and whether it plans to visit Torbay.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 11 December 2007
	The group of expert practitioners referred to as the respect "squad" comprises of 10 people.
	The purpose and work of these expert practitioners is to provide advice and assistance for local partners in relation to complex cases of antisocial behaviour. An expert practitioner intervention has no formal power and is not designed to be an inspection but to provide support where local partners are unable to formulate a clear solution to individual cases, excluding these cases where court action is already underway, or trends in incidents of anti social behaviour. These nationally recognised expert practitioners have committed to giving some time and advice with the agreement of their employer and taking into account their own work priorities.
	In September 2007, two expert practitioners visited and gave advice to local service providers and members of the public in an ongoing case of anti social behaviour in Torbay, however there is no current outstanding case in this area and no visit to the area is planned.

Conditions of Employment: Mental Health

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 27 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 27-30WS, on Mental health and employment, 
	(1)  what the role is of the national director of health and work;
	(2)  what the terms of reference are of the review into improving the health and employment prospects of people of working age being undertaken by Dame Carol Black.

Anne McGuire: Professor Dame Carol Black is the Government's first ever national director for health and work. Dame Carol is a champion for the health, work and well-being strategy which is a partnership between Department for Work and Pensions, Health and Safety Executive and the three Health Departments of Great Britain. In this role she advises Ministers, engages stakeholders, raises awareness of the importance of work to health and helps to change perceptions and behaviour.
	In March 2007, jointly with the Department of Health, we commissioned Dame Carol to carry out a review. The terms of reference are
	"To conduct a review of health-related factors that influence working life in Great Britain, and make recommendations."
	This review will be crucial to helping us understand the impact of ill-health in working age people and how best we can tackle this and support people to stay in work. It will help steer the Government's strategy for the coming years.
	As a specific task within the role of national director we have asked Dame Carol to chair a high-level group drawn from business, the medical profession, academia, the third sector, and stakeholder groups to oversee the work on mental health and employment that we announced on 27 November. We are currently developing the detailed terms of reference for this steering group.

Departmental Consultants

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what contracts his Department has with external consultants; what the total value, including all VAT and disbursements, of these contracts are for the current financial year; how long each contract lasts; and what the forecast total value is of each contract.

Caroline Flint: The Department for Work and Pensions' current contracts with external consultants, the estimated expenditure on them (including VAT and all disbursements) in the current financial year, their total value and duration are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Department for Work and Pensions—contracts with external consultants—November 2007 
			  Contract  External consultants  Estimated total value July 2008 (£)  Duration of contract  Estimated total value of contract (£) 
			 Support to pensions transformation programme Booz Allen Hamilton 14,134,745 3 February 2003 to 30 November 2007 104,680,750 
			 Strategic partner to employment support allowance project Capgemini 5,875,000 26 March 2007 to 25 March 2011 15,275,000 
			 Integrated communications network services - contract transformation plan management Deloitte 3,935,977 24 November 2005 to 31 March 2009 12,038,290 
			 DWP cross towers communications Deloitte 5,875,000 3 April 2006 to 31 March 2008 11,792,357 
			 Support to disability and carers service change programme PA Consulting 237,607 1 December 2006 to 31 May 2008 10,575,000 
			 Professional and consultancy services for the continuous improvement programme Capgemini 6,165,120 7 July 2007 to 6 July 2008 8,220,161 
			 Strategic partner—business and financial controls PricewaterhouseCoopers 1,818,248 1 April 2006-31 March 2008 6,462,500 
			 Initial design support—business process design and re-engineering Deloitte 1,343,601 20 June 2006 to 28 December 2007 4,419,985 
			 Strategic partner to risk assurance division Grant Thornton 1,175,000 1 June 2005 to 31 May 3,414,714 
			 Enabling retirement savings programme (design and implementation strand) Deloitte 1,175,000 8 August 2007 to 31 July 2009 2,585,000 
			 HR IS/IT modernisation programme Capgemini 1,435,876 23 October 2006 to 22 October 2008 2,350,000 
			 Support to central payments system programme 2 Deloitte 1,374,734 1 November 2007 to 31 May 2007 1,924,628 
			 DWP leaflet review and analysis Bang Communications 634,984 29 September 2006 to 31 January 2008 1,039,348 
			 DWP mystery shopper GFK/NOP 242,581 3 January 2006 to 31 January 2009 728,479 
			 Support to central payments system programme l PricewaterhouseCoopers 431,862 1 November 2007 to 31 May 2007 604,608 
			 Support to performance and planning: clear line of sight Capgemini 587,077 31 May 2007 to 31 May 2008 587,077 
			 Fraud tracking research GFK/NOP 273,706 30 July 2007 to 31 December 2008 581,625 
			 Child maintenance redesign—disregard Deloitte 374,736 1 August 2007 to 31 July 2008 562,104 
			 Programme management and assurance function to the corporate centre Capgemini 497,495 1 August 2007 to 18 December 2007 497,495 
			 Programme design and programme business change for pensions reform delivery programme PricewaterhouseCoopers 449,849 10 September 2007 to 31 March 2008 449,849 
			 Delivery of financial controls Deloitte 240,763 13 July 2007 to 30 March 2009 436,443 
			 Child maintenance redesign—information and support Deloitte 241,332 1 August 2007 to 31 July 2008 361,998 
			 Departmental financial advisers PricewaterhouseCoopers 352,500 1 June 2007 to 30 November 2009 352,500 
			 Development of organisational design review and high level people strategy for jobcentre plus Deloitte 339,641 16 August 2007 to 1 January 2008 339,641 
			 DWP media evaluation Media Measurement 163,578 7 December 2005 to 31 December 2007 293,750 
			 Business design and design capability—change directorate Deloitte 158,625 6 August 2007 to 12 August 2007 293,750 
			 Support to the six point plan for government ATOS 220,665 16 July 2007 to 16 November 2007 220,665 
			 DWP public attitudes research Brahm Ltd 108,462 7 December 2005 to 31 March 2008 204,072 
			 HR learning and development improvement programme PA Consulting 79,247 16 July 2007 to 31 March 2009 198,118 
			 Talent management and leadership development PA Consulting 177,278 28 February 2007 to 30 March 2008 177,278 
			 Baselining and tracking research of employability campaign FDS 133,931 13 June 2007 to 31 January 2008 133,931 
			 Talent/leadership development framework for jobcentre plus PA Consulting 55,166 19 December 2006 to 31 March 2008 117,353 
			 Support for working together programme evaluation phase and future strategic design PKF 115,150 1 September 2007 to 31 March 2008 115,150 
			 Designing an accreditation approach PA Consulting 115,091 25 September 2007 to 31 December 2007 115,091 
			 Scheme design support for financial assistance scheme FS Explorer 64,168 17 September 2007 to 17 July 2008 105,774 
			 Pensions reform delivery programme Tribal Communications 105,574 24 April 2007 to 31 December 2007 105,574 
			 Financial support on Remploy/TU negotiations KPMG 102,225 24 August 2007 to 31 October 2007 102,225 
			 Updated DWP leadership and management development approach PKF 88,125 13 November 2007 to 30 January 2008 88,125 
			 Independent verification of CSA improvement plan benefits realisation Oakleigh 34,892 16 January 2007 to 19 December 2007 64,972 
			 Design study for central payments system programme—pensions integration backbone Accenture 49,115 15 October 2007 to 15 December 2007 49,115 
			 Office of Disability Issues—images of disability initiative Agnes Fletcher 25,263 29 October 2007 to 31 December 2007 25,263 
			 Due diligence work PricewaterhouseCoopers 23,280 29 October 2007 to 30 November 2007 23,280 
			 Data warehouse strategy architect Capgemini 11,351 6 November 2006 to 30 November 2007 22,701 
			 Support to pensions transformation programme: rational software IBM 18,180 23 July 2007 to 31 March 2008 18,180 
			 Strategic advice for pensions reform communications campaign Brahm 15,686 29 October 2007 to 16 November 2007 15,686 
			 Total  51,077,485  192,769,602

Employment: New Deal Schemes

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the flexible New Deal process outlined in In work, better off: next steps to full employment will accommodate the adult careers service recommended by Lord Leitch in his report, Prosperity for all in the global economy—world class skills.

Caroline Flint: The Government's approach to improving adults' skills is set out in both the recent DWP/DIUS publication "Opportunity, Employment and progression: making skills work" and the Green Paper "In-work, better off: next steps to full employment".
	"Opportunity, Employment and progression" sets out how Jobcentre Plus will work collaboratively with the adult advancement and careers service in England and with the equivalent skills services in Scotland and Wales. Skills screening, assessment and development will form an integral part of the activity related to getting a jobseeker into work and progressing where they can. We will combine support for skills development alongside job-search activity to ensure individuals can access the help they need early, taking into account local labour market requirements and the customer's needs and aspirations.
	Our Green Paper proposed measures to tackle an individual's basic skills needs early in a jobseeker's allowance (JSA) claim. Throughout their claim, including any period spent on the flexible new deal, JSA customers will be reminded of the importance of continuing to develop their skills to help them secure longer-term employment. We have recently concluded the consultation on "In-work, better off: next steps to full employment" and will publish a full response soon.

New Deal Schemes

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which groups of benefits claimants will be fast tracked to the gateway stage of flexible New Deal under the proposals outlined in, In work, better off: next steps to full employment.

Caroline Flint: The Green Paper proposed that the criteria for fast tracking customers to the Gateway stage of flexible new deal would be based on benefit history and those with long recent durations on jobseeker's allowance (JSA) would be mandated to it. Other customers would be able to volunteer for early referral to the Gateway if they are in a recognised disadvantaged group. The flexible new deal would be for JSA customers only.
	We have recently concluded our consultation on "In-work, better off: next steps to full employment" and will publish our full response soon.

New Deal Schemes

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether all strands of current New Deal programmes will be subsumed into flexible New Deal under the proposals outlined in, In work, better off: next steps to full employment.

Caroline Flint: In the Green Paper "In-work, better off: next steps to full employment", we set out our proposals for the flexible new deal. Our proposals are that the flexible new deal would replace the existing mandatory new deal for young people (NDYP) and new deal 25-plus (ND25+) programmes, and would be for jobseeker's allowance (JSA) customers only. The funding for the new deal for musicians, which is offered through NDYP and ND25+, would be incorporated into the flexible new deal.
	It is intended that the flexible new deal will look very different to these programmes and will respond more flexibly to individual needs; providers may draw on experiences from the activity offered in the current mandatory new deal programmes but would be able to develop and offer other initiatives as well.
	The voluntary new deals are open to customers across benefit groups. Under flexible new deal, there would be some changes to the way the additional support available through flexible new deal applies to jobseeker's allowance (JSA) customers on these programmes.
	New deal 50-plus would continue in its present form for non-JSA customers. The support currently offered to JSA customers through new deal 50-plus would be replaced by the additional employment and skills support and activity requirements at the six-month Gateway stage of flexible new deal.
	New deal for lone parents would continue to support JSA customers as now. New deal for partners would offer additional work-focused interviews from April 2008 where there are dependent children.
	The new deal for disabled people (NDDP) is not available to JSA customers and so would be unaffected by the introduction of the flexible new deal.
	We have recently concluded the consultation on "In work, better off: next steps to full employment" and will publish a full response soon.

New Deal Schemes

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the flexible New Deal programme proposed in In work, better off: next steps to full employment will affect the delivery of the city strategy in pathfinder areas.

Caroline Flint: As with the Department's existing employment programmes, wherever there are local initiatives, Jobcentre Plus and providers operating within the flexible new deal will make best use of the opportunities they offer to improve the employability and job outcomes of unemployed people.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

James Brokenshire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the number of  (a) taxpayers and  (b) recipients of tax credits or pension credits whose personal details have been misdirected or mislaid by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) or may otherwise be at risk of becoming victims of identity theft due to error or omission by HMRC; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The police continue to have no reason to believe that this data has found its way into the wrong hands or it has been used for fraudulent purposes or criminal activity.
	For details of the data mislaid by HMRC, I refer the hon. member to the statement given in the House by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 20 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 1101-04.
	On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what personal data in relation to child benefit awards was provided to KPMG as part of the National Audit Office's 2006-07 resource accounts audit for HM Revenue and Customs.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 28 November 2007
	 This is a matter for the National Audit Office and the hon. Member may wish to write to the Comptroller and Auditor General about it.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Anne Main: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to help alleviate concerns of child benefit recipients whose data was lost by HM Revenue and Customs on possible use of the data by third parties to establish contact with minors.

Jane Kennedy: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer said in his original statement to the House of Commons on the data loss issue, 20 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 1101-04, that police continue to have no reason to believe that this data has fallen into the wrong hands. The Acting Chairman of HMRC has also written to all customers affected to reassure those affected. The Government are continuing to discuss the broader implications of the incident with a range of organisations, and has considered appropriate steps to manage any risks resulting from the unlikely event that these data fall into the wrong hands.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what occasions discs containing personal data were lost by HM Revenue and Customs and its predecessors in each year since 1997; and whether in each case the data was  (a) subsequently found and  (b) considered (i) lost and (ii) stolen.

Jane Kennedy: On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the Chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers. The full terms of reference for that review are available on the HM Treasury website at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2007/press_133_07.cfm and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions data from the child benefit database has been posted to recipients outside HM Revenue and Customs in the last 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
	The full terms of reference for that review are available on the HM Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2007/press_133_07.cfm
	and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Departmental Data Protection

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people of each grade have  (a) partial and  (b) full access to data held by (i) his Department and (ii) HM Revenue and Customs on child benefit recipients; what guidance his Department issues to persons seeking access to this data; and if he will make a statement;

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what mechanisms his Department has in place to ensure that its databases containing personal information on members of the public are not accessed by  (a) unauthorised staff and  (b) authorised staff for unauthorised purposes.

Jane Kennedy: On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
	The full terms of reference for that review are available on the HM Treasury website at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2007/press_133_07.cfm and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Revenue and Customs: Civil Proceedings

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions legal proceedings have been instigated against HM Revenue and Customs for alleged offences not directly related to assessing tax liabilities, administering the tax system or the collection of tax.

Jane Kennedy: Since its formation HM Revenue and Customs have not been prosecuted for any offences.

Revenue and Customs: Data Protection

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how CDs are identified as carrying secure personal information by HM Revenue and Customs.

Jane Kennedy: The location of the missing data disks is the subject of an ongoing police investigation. On 20 November, the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's security processes and procedures for data handling, to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
	The full terms of reference for that review are available on the HM Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2007/press_133_07.cfm
	and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Civil Service Agencies: Information Officers

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what guidance he has issued on the creation and operation of separate press offices with departments' executive agencies.

Gillian Merron: There is no central guidance on whether executive agencies should run separate press offices from their parent departments. This is a matter for individual Departments and agencies. The guidance issued across the Government Communication Network on issues like propriety is the same for press officers in all government bodies.

Colombia: Human Rights

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the observance of human rights in Colombia; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We are concerned about the human rights situation in Colombia and the continued threats against human rights defenders, including trade unionists, community leaders and teachers. However, we are encouraged by the positive steps the Government of Colombia has been taking to address the human rights situation. For example, a new unit of specialised prosecutors with greater resources has been established to deal with cases of human rights abuses involving trade unionists - a point specifically welcomed by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in his report on Colombia, published on 15 March 2007.
	The UK provides assistance to Colombia in the area of human rights so that the serious, continuing challenges facing the country can be addressed and further improvements can be made to the lives of the Colombian people. Further detail can be found on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/Files/kfile/UK%20Columbia%20Assistance%Matrix.pdf
	We will continue to work with the Colombian Government and other partners, such as the EU, UN and civil society, to help Colombia address its serious problems.

Russia: Elections

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place between the Government, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the EU on the conduct of the Russian election.

Jim Murphy: At the recent meeting of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) Ministerial Council in Madrid on 29 November I said that we
	"regret that the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has recently faced a number of unprecedented restrictions and bureaucratic obstacles to observing the Russian Duma elections".
	I also met the Director of ODIHR, ambassador Strohal, on 22 November, and discussed monitoring of the Russian elections with him. The EU presidency also spoke on behalf of EU member states at the OSCE Permanent Council on 6 December. The presidency welcomed the fact that the elections had taken place in an orderly and organised fashion, but regretted the numerous reports and allegations of media restrictions, as well as harassment of opposition parties and non-governmental organisations in the run-up to the elections and on election day. The statement concluded that procedures during the electoral campaign did not meet the international standards and commitments voluntarily assumed by Moscow and hoped that investigations would clarify the accuracy of these allegations. The EU also regretted that there was no long-term observation mission from ODIHR or OSCE to monitor the election campaign and underlined that the presence of ODIHR would have provided a reliable basis for a full assessment of the elections.

Russia: Elections

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on UK relations with Russia following the Russian parliamentary elections.

Jim Murphy: We continue to engage Russia in pursuit of our international objectives related to energy security, climate change, international peace and security. This approach was commended in the recently published Foreign Affairs Committee report "Global Security: Russia".
	However, we share the widespread concern about the conduct of the Russian parliamentary elections. There were numerous allegations of electoral malpractice which, if proven correct, would suggest that the elections were neither free nor fair. Our long-standing policy is to air our concerns openly with the Russian Government, for example on human rights and the shrinking democratic space. We have said that it is vital that the Russian Central Election Committee urgently investigates all allegations of electoral abuses and that the Russian Government puts in place systems to ensure that the Presidential elections in March 2008 will be transparent and democratic.

Russia: Elections

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe on the conduct of the recent elections in Russia.

Jim Murphy: At the recent meeting of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Ministerial Council in Madrid on 29 November I said that we
	"regret that the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has recently faced a number of unprecedented restrictions and bureaucratic obstacles to observing the Russian Duma elections".
	I also met the Director of ODIHR, ambassador Strohal, on 22 November, and discussed monitoring of the Russian elections with him.

South Africa: Mining

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Government have had with the South African Government on fatal accidents involving mineworkers.

Kim Howells: We have not discussed mine fatalities with the South African Government. There exists already a strong domestic debate in South Africa on this issue. In October President Mbeki ordered a safety audit of South Africa's mines. In addition, the National Union of Miners and the Congress of South African Trade Unions are actively pressing the government to take further steps to ensure miner safety, with the former leading a march on December to protest against the level of fatalities in South Africa's mines. The Chamber of Mines has confirmed it will engage with stakeholders on mine safety.

Translation Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's budget for translating government publications and online services into other languages  (a) was in 2006-07 and  (b) is for 2007-08.

Jim Murphy: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold dedicated budgets for translating Government publications and online services and the information requested by the hon. Member could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Zimbabwe: Human Rights

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Government has to raise the issue of human rights in Zimbabwe at the EU-African Union Summit in Lisbon; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: My noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Amos raised Zimbabwe and the appalling human rights situation caused by President Mugabe during her intervention on behalf of the UK at the EU/Africa summit in Lisbon. As high representative for the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana delivered a statement on behalf of the EU underlining member states' collective concern at the deteriorating human rights situation. Other EU member states (Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden) also made interventions that specifically criticised the human rights situation in Zimbabwe.

Departmental Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was paid in consultancy fees by his Department in each year since 1997.

Shahid Malik: Expenditure on consultancy services for the financial years 1997-98 to 2006-07 is listed in the following table. For 2000-01 onwards this includes both consultancy to deliver parts of our development programme where services are often provided to third parties such as recipient governments, and consultancy to DFID as an organisation. For 1997-98 to 1999-2000, figures only include consultancies to deliver the development programme (as published in Statistics on International Development). Consolidated amounts for consultancy to DFID as an organisation are not available for this period.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Consultancy spend  Of which programme budget (delivering parts of our development programmes)  Administration budget (consultancy to DFID as an organisation) 
			 1997-98 — 204 — 
			 1998-99 — 199 — 
			 1999-2000 — 197 — 
			 2000-01 284 209 75 
			 2001-02 273 257 16 
			 2002-03 274 250 24 
			 2003-04 270 241 29 
			 2004-05 276 239 37 
			 2005-06 255 228 27 
			 2006-07 270 250 20 
		
	
	These figures do not include lower-value contracts issued by DFID's overseas offices, which could be obtained only by incurring disproportionate cost.

Economic Agreements: Intellectual Property

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the Government's policy is on the inclusion of provisions on intellectual property rights in economic partnership agreements; and what assessment he has made of their likely effect on access to essential medicines.

Gareth Thomas: No intellectual property provisions have been included in the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) signed to date.
	The UK has always been clear that issues other than trade in goods should only be included in EPAs if the African, Caribbean or Pacific regions wish them to be. If a region wants to negotiate intellectual property rights in their EPA, then the UK policy is that no country should be required to go beyond existing commitments under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement on trade related intellectual property rights (TRIPS). This agreement includes the right for countries to improve their access to cheaper medicines by producing, exporting or importing generic medicines under a compulsory licence. The UK supports this right. The Department for International Development has financed a number of organisations to assist developing countries to make better use of their TRIPS flexibilities, including compulsory licensing.

Iraq: Overseas Aid

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to the answer of 9 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 437-38W, on Iraq: overseas aid; 
	(1)  how much of the £744 million the Government has allocated to Iraq came from his Department;
	(2)  how much of the £744 million the Government has allocated to Iraq has not been used by the Iraqis.

Douglas Alexander: The UK has pledged £744 million for reconstruction and development in Iraq since 2003. From 2003 to March 2007, £667 million has been disbursed, of which £489 million has been spent by DFID (including EC contributions). The DFID budget for Iraq in 2007-08 is £30 million. We expect to have spent the total HMG pledge by the end of 2008-09.
	The UK has disbursed the following amounts by contributing Department:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   DFID (including EC contribution)  FCO (Secondments and Peacekeeping Conflict Pool)  MOD (Quick Impact Projects)  Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP)—Joint DFID/FCO/MOD 
			 2002-03 9 0 0 0 
			 2003-04 227 29 0 5 
			 2004-05 70 21 30 18 
			 2005-06 110 15 5 15 
			 2006-07 73 12 3 25 
			 Total 489 77 38 63 
			  Note: Unofficial estimates only.

Sudan: Reconstruction

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the status is of the Eastern Sudan Reconstruction and Development Fund.

Gareth Thomas: The Government of National Unity has allocated the required US$100 million to the Eastern Sudan Reconstruction and Development Fund but this funding has yet to be disbursed. The structure of the Fund's governing board, which is detailed in Article 23 of the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement, has been agreed. However, the executive director has not yet been appointed and as such the board is not operational. State Governments, however, are preparing projects in anticipation of the receipt of funds.

Arthritis

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the expenditure by  (a) his Department's research and development budget and  (b) the Medical Research Council on research into rheumatoid arthritis was in each year since 1997-98.

Dawn Primarolo: Over the last 10 years, the main part of the Department's total expenditure on health research has been devolved to and managed by national health service organisations.
	Details of individual NHS supported research projects including a large number concerned with rheumatoid arthritis are available on the national research register at
	www.nrr.nhs.uk.
	In addition, the Department's expenditure on national research programme projects specifically concerned with rheumatoid arthritis during this time has been as follows:
	
		
			   £000 
			 1997-98 59 
			 1998-99 119 
			 1999-2000 119 
			 2000-01 136 
			 2001-02 144 
			 2002-03 67 
			 2003-04 nil 
			 2004-05 72 
			 2005-06 nil 
			 2006-07 36 
		
	
	Implementation of the Department's research strategy "Best Research for Best Health" has led to an expansion of our research programmes and in significant new funding opportunities for health research. Work relevant to rheumatoid arthritis will for example be undertaken in several of the National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centres (BRC). The Cambridge BRC has a musculoskeletal disorders research theme to which £2.2 million has been allocated over five years; and the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust BRC has a rheumatology research theme for which the total budget over five years is £2.7 million.
	The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government supports biomedical research. The MRC is an independent body funded by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
	The MRC's funds a large portfolio of research related to arthritis and rheumatism much of which will be of relevance to rheumatoid arthritis. Available MRC expenditure figures for research relevant to arthritis and rheumatism are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Expenditure (£ million) 
			 1999-2000 4.8 
			 2000-01 3.9 
			 2001-02 4.2 
			 2002-03 6.8 
			 2003-04 6.8 
			 2004-05 5.0 
			 2005-06 5.5

Breast Cancer: Screening

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what means his Department plans to extend the NHS breast cancer screening programme to all women aged 47 to 73 years by 2012.

Ann Keen: The extension of the breast screening programme age range will start from April 2008 and will be managed by cancer screening programmes in partnership national health service with local health services.
	As with the previous age extension, increasing the upper age range limit to 70 years, this will take several years to implement fully, as more staff will need to be recruited and trained and more equipment purchased. Full implementation is expected by the end of 2012.
	The necessary phasing in of this expansion will be carefully considered to ensure that the most useful epidemiological data can be gathered to inform future decisions about the breast screening programme.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the likely effects of lowering the entry level age of the breast cancer screening programme.

Ann Keen: The extension of the breast screening age range was recommended by the cancer reform strategy (CRS) Breast Cancer Working Group, who carefully examined the emerging evidence on extending the programme below and above the current age ranges, and the recommendation was accepted by the CRS Advisory Board.
	The CRS Breast Cancer Working Group membership consisted of expert stakeholders, including clinicians, breast cancer charity representatives, researchers and patients.
	By lowering the starting age for breast screening we will guarantee that women will have their first screening invitation before the age of 50.

Care Homes

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of private sector care homes are owned by companies who own more than one home;
	(2)  how many  (a) private,  (b) public and  (c) voluntary sector care homes for the elderly were subject to regulation and inspection by the Commission for Social Care Inspection in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: We have been informed by the chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that it does not collect information on the proportion of private sector care homes owned by companies which own more than one home. CSCI inspects and regulates each individual service and not the organisation running the home.
	The following table shows counts of the numbers of care homes regulated against the Care Homes Regulations 2001 and National Minimum Standards (NMS) for Care Homes for Older People year on year (which will be less than the total numbers of homes registered).
	
		
			   Type of home 
			  As at 31 March  Private  Local authority  Voluntary  NHS  Other( 1) 
			 2006-07 8,617 783 1,035 15 115 
			 2005-06 8,642 828 1,093 13 95 
			 2004-05 8,796 871 1,095 14 89 
			 2003-04 9,020 9,153 1,130 13 89 
			 2002-03 8,768 1,583 1,037 10 76 
			 (1) CSCI inspects homes against the NMS for Care Homes for Younger Adults (aged 18-64) or the NMS for Care Homes for Older People. Homes are classified by CSCI as homes for younger adults or for older people depending on the set of NMS against which they are inspected. The decision about the set of standards used is based on the relative numbers of older people (aged 65 plus) or younger adults (aged 18-64) resident at the time of inspection.  Notes: 1. Homes chose how they are classified during the registration process. "Other" includes any form of ownership not covered by the principal four categories. 2. When the National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) database was established in 2002, the process of registration of homes was staggered. Local authority services were registered after private and voluntary services. The increase in numbers between 2002-03 and 2003-04 does not represent an increase in homes, but in the number registered with NCSC.  Source: CSCI Registration and Inspection database.

Departmental Responsibilities: Climate Change

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he  (a) has taken and  (b) intends to take by (i) 2012 and (ii) 2020 in relation to adaptation to the effects of climate change as they affect his Departmental responsibilities; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 29 November 2007
	The importance of the climate change agenda is well understood and it is recognised that to tackle climate change, not only do we have to reduce greenhouse gases, but we must also adapt to the impacts we are already experiencing and will continue to experience over the coming decades due to the inertia in the system.
	Climate impacts affect many departmental responsibilities. We have worked closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to develop the adaptation sections of the Climate Change Bill, which will require Government to assess the risks climate change poses to the United Kingdom—including to public health and the health estate—and to develop a programme to respond to those risks. The first risk assessment will be due three years after Royal Assent (around 2011) with the programme being published shortly afterwards. We have also worked with other Departments on the development of the Adaptation Policy Framework which will be published in spring 2008, setting out the Government's programme of action on climate impacts.
	In May 2007, the Department published an update of their 2001 report "the Health Effects of Climate Change" for comment. This is being finalised for publication later this year.
	The Department has a national heat wave plan in place, which is evaluated and updated annually to ensure that the best available evidence is used to reduce the ill effects of heat waves. The plan and supporting guidance are circulated to emergency planners and relevant stakeholders in May each year.
	On flooding, the Department's emergency preparedness division continues to work across the health economy in partnership with other agencies and Departments to ensure improved resilience of patient services, including national health service infrastructure and health supply chains, and the preparedness of the service to respond to major flooding incidents. Closer work will be needed between the NHS and the Environment Agency to mitigate the affects of flooding in the longer term.
	Protection from skin cancers, sunburn and cataracts caused by ultraviolet radiation will rely heavily on public health messages building, for example, on the Department's current collaboration with Cancer-Research UK for the SunSmart campaign.
	Although winter deaths are likely to decline, the Department's Keep Warm Keep Well campaign provides annual advice to vulnerable people (mainly older people and also disabled people and families on low incomes) on how to keep themselves and their homes warm in the winter.
	The UK recognises that the potential health impact of climate change also requires global action. To this end, the UK has successfully arranged for an agenda item on 'climate change and health' to be included on the agenda of the forthcoming World Health Organisation Executive Board in January 2008. Our aim is to raise awareness of the health implications of climate change among health ministries and professionals and promote practical and sustainable action nationally and internationally to respond to these. Discussion at the Executive Board will enable member states to focus on planning and developing adaptation policies. The UK is also engaged with the European Union on their recent Green Paper on Adaptation.

Doctors: Housing

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 714W, on doctors: housing, when the guidance within the terms and conditions for employment for junior doctors on the application of charges for accommodation provided through hospital channels was last updated.

Ann Keen: NHS Employers issued guidance in August 2007 to trusts following the changes to the Medical Act which came into effect on 1 August 2007.

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Trust: Industrial Disputes

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to resolve the dispute between maintenance craft workers and Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Trust.

Ann Keen: The Secretary of State (Alan Johnson) has no locus to direct the trust in this matter given its status as a National Health Service Foundation Trust.

Females: Conferences

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which Ministers from his Department  (a) attended and  (b) spoke at the Women Deliver conference held in London from 18 to 20 October; whether his Department contributed (i) direct funding, (ii) informal support and (iii) personnel; whether officials from his Department (A) attended and (B) participated; what discussions his Department had with the Department for International Development on this conference; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: No Department Ministers attended the Women Deliver conference. Dr. Gwyneth Lewis, the National Clinical Lead for Maternal Health and Maternity Services, attended as an observer and represented the Department. No other support was given by the Department for the event.
	The Government lead for the conference lay with the Department for International Development and my right hon. Friend Douglas Alexander, the Secretary of State for International Development opened the conference.

Heart Diseases: Health Services

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government plans to take to increase the availability of cardiac rehabilitation services.

Ann Keen: The provision of cardiac rehabilitation services is a matter for the local national health service, working in partnership with stakeholders and the local community. It is for NHS organisations to plan and develop services based on their specific local knowledge and expertise.
	A new National Cardiac Rehabilitation Audit has been introduced across England, jointly sponsored by the British Heart Foundation and the Healthcare Commission. This will provide stronger evidence on effectiveness and encourage local areas to appraise and improve their provision of cardiac rehabilitation.
	Furthermore, in July 2007, a British Heart Foundation-led campaign with the British Association of Cardiac Rehabilitation was launched, which together with the audit will raise the profile of rehabilitation and give impetus to the provision of rehabilitation services.

HIV Infection: Young People

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken to educate young people about HIV infection since 1997.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	Teaching about safer sex is one of the Government's key strategies for reducing the incidence of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
	The Department issued its "Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) Guidance" to all maintained schools in July 2000. Prior to this the basic requirements for sex education were covered by the 1996 Education Act. The guidance took account of the revised national curriculum published in 1999 and was developed in discussion with key stakeholders to make sure it covered all relevant issues. It sets out the framework within which schools should provide effective SRE at each of the four key stages. At secondary school level SRE should prepare young people for an adult life in which
	(among other things) they can:
	be aware of their sexuality and understand human sexuality;
	understand the reasons for having protected sex;
	have sufficient information to protect themselves from HIV and other STIs.
	The position has been further reinforced following the recent review of the secondary curriculum undertaken—at the request of the Department—by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. SRE will continue to place a strong emphasis on sexual activity, HIV and other STIs, and how high-risk behaviours affect the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities.

Hospital Beds: Eastern Region

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital beds there were in each primary care trust area in the East of England in each year since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the average available beds for national health service trusts in the East of England between 1997 and 2007 (latest data available).
	
		
			  Average daily available beds for NHS trusts in the East of England between 1997 and 2007. In 2000-01, East Hertfordshire NHS Trust and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust merged to form East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust. In 2000-001, Mount Vernon and Watford Hospitals NHS Trust and St. Albans and Hemel Hempstead NHS Trust merged to form West Hertfordshire NHS Trust. Present trust names used only—for all trust name changes, refer to following notes 
			  Org code  Organisation  1996-07  1997-08  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 ROD Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 675 662 613 614 627 646.94 627 652 652 662 663.79 
			 RC1 Bedford Hospital NHS Trust 476 455 459 450 451 459.67 471.9 525.36 511.64 433 431 
			 RGT Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1,287 1,302 1,277 1,257 1,269 1,280 1,026 1,034 1,032 1,068 1,048 
			 RWH East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust — — — — 1,289 1173.5 1126.3 1049.2 1054.9 1,077 1,066 
			 RC4 East Hertfordshire NHS Trust 646 622 603 600 — — — — — — — 
			 RAQ North Hertfordshire NHS Trust 653 641 676 674 — — — — — — — 
			 RDE Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust 755 723 752 750 764 754.35 834 701.08 643 660 666.87 
			 RQQ Hinchingbrooke Healthcare NHS Trust 397 397 389 389 417 416.75 350.24 342.65 337.79 293.03 262.63 
			 RGQ Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust 816 761 738 733 781 769.21 766.62 782 755.71 746.44 699.59 
			 RGP James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 479 521 530 546 540 550.76 552.28 550.29 568.61 566.49 507.68 
			 RC9 Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 538 517 507 519 522 513.92 536.93 565.6 574.44 567.91 578.1 
			 RQ8 Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust 888 880 846 818 843 850.65 854.39 771.27 761.38 808.59 684.07 
			 RM1 Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust 1,008 966 954 920 914 928 960.83 1017.1 1006.3 969.74 962.68 
			 RGM Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 183 189 184 181 177 186.74 193.4 196.73 201.41 209.81 212.78 
			 RGN Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 765 722 690 676 687 684.54 767.93 776.66 747.47 647.44 613.94 
			 RAJ Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 776 770 757 754 728 727.72 713.26 746.43 767.76 764.78 770.46 
			 RQW The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust 381 365 361 346 623 628.62 546.81 498.41 498.35 514.36 484.53 
			 RCX The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Trust 721 683 659 642 656 623.63 511.29 542.22 560.5 502.36 480.04 
			 RWG West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust — — — — 867 833.96 816 826.73 924.13 924.78 766.08 
			 RQL Mount Vernon and Watford Hospitals NHS Trust 761 621 616 548 — — — — — — — 
			 RPW St. Albans and Hemel Hempstead NHS Trust 506 476 436 378 — — — — — — — 
			 RGR West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust 685 713 673 664 687 678.79 638.31 676 630.77 570.42 494.12 
			  Notes: Name changes: ROD—Basildon and Thurrock General Hospitals NHS Trust (1997-08-2001-02), Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Trust (2002-03-2004-05), Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (2005-06-present) RGT—Addenbrookes NHS Trust (1996-97-2004-05), Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (2005-06-present) RGP—James Paget Healthcare NHS Trust (1996-97-2004-05), James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (2005-06-present) RC9—Luton and Dunstabte Hospital NHS Trust (1996-97-2004-05), Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (2005-06-present) RQ8—Mid Essex Hospitals NHS Trust (1996-07-2001-02), Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust (2002-03-present) RM1—Norfolk and Norwich Health Care NHS Trust (1996-97-2000-01), Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust (2001-02-present) RGM—Papworth Hospital NHS Trust (1996-97-2004-05), Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (2005-06-present) RGN—Peterborough Hospitals NHS Trust (1996-97-2004-05), Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (2005-06-present) RAJ—Southend Health Care NHS Trust (1996-97-2001-02), Southend Hospital NHS Trust (2002-03-2004-05), Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (2005-06-present) RCX—Kings Lynn and Wisbech Hospitals NHS Trust (1996-97-2004-05), The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Trust (2005-06-present)  Source: Department of Health form KH03

Influenza: Disease Control

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much his Department has budgeted for the costs associated with the new measures in the Flu Pandemic Plan in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11, broken down by  (a) resource and  (b) capital expenditure;
	(2)  what arrangements his Department has to replenish its stocks of Tamiflu as existing stocks expire; what estimate he has made of the cost of stock replenishment; and how such costs will appear in his Department's resource accounts;
	(3)  when he expects his Department to have increased its stock of antivirals to the levels where it has sufficient for at least 50 per cent. of the population in the event of pandemic influenza.

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health where the advanced supply vaccines recently announced will be manufactured.

Dawn Primarolo: Clinical countermeasures, vaccines, antivirals, antibiotics and facemasks are a key part of the Government response to pandemic influenza. I refer the hon. Member to the statement given by the Secretary of State (Alan Johnson) on 22 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 1350-61, to launch the national framework for responding to an influenza pandemic and the Government's plan to increase the level of stockpiles of the clinical countermeasures to improve the ability of the United Kingdom to respond to a pandemic.
	The costs of new clinical countermeasure strategy cannot be provided as it could affect the commercial negotiations that will be progressed and potentially reduce the possibility of getting best value for money.
	The increasing of current stockpile of antivirals is subject to a commercial assessment on antivirals will be completed that will identify the worldwide capacity and demand for antivirals.
	The current stockpile of Tamiflu will be replenished if it passes its shelf life and has not been used to respond to a pandemic. The costs of replenishment will be subject to the same commercial arrangements as that for procuring new stockpiles and therefore cannot be currently stated.
	The Advance Supply Agreements for the supply of pandemic specific vaccine were signed with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Baxter this summer. These allow for the purchase of sufficient vaccine for the UK population. The Baxter vaccine will be manufactured in the Czech Republic and Austria, while the GSK vaccine will be manufactured in Germany and Belgium.

Maternity Services

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS trusts in England provide maternity services.

Ann Keen: Analysis of national data from NHS Maternity Statistics, England 2005-06 shows that the national health service trusts listed as follows provide maternity services.
	Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	Airedale NHS Trust
	Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust
	Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
	Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust
	Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust
	Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
	Barts and The London NHS Trust
	Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	Basingstoke and North Hampshire NHS Foundation Trust
	Bedford Hospital NHS Trust
	Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
	Birmingham Women's Health Care NHS Trust
	Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust
	Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust
	Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust
	Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust
	Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust
	Burton Hospitals NHS Trust
	Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
	Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust
	Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
	Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
	City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust
	Cornwall Partnership NHS Trust
	Countess Of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
	County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
	Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
	Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
	Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust
	Baling Hospital NHS Trust
	East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust
	East Cheshire NHS Trust
	East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust
	East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
	East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust
	Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
	Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust
	Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
	Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust
	George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust
	Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust
	Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
	Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust
	Hampshire Partnership NHS Trust
	Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust
	Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust
	Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust
	Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust
	Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
	Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust
	Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust
	James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	Kettering General Hospital NHS Trust
	King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
	Kingston Hospital NHS Trust
	Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
	Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust
	Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
	Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
	Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust
	Medway NHS Trust
	Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust
	Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals NHS Trust
	Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust
	Milton Keynes General Hospital NHS Trust
	Newham University Hospital NHS Trust
	Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust
	North Bristol NHS Trust
	North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust
	North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
	North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust
	North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust
	North West London Hospitals NHS Trust
	Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust
	Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust
	Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
	Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
	Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust
	Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
	Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust
	Poole Hospital NHS Trust
	Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
	Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust
	Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust
	Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic and District Hospital NHS Trust
	Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
	Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust
	Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
	Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust
	Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust
	Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust
	Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Trust
	Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust
	Royal West Sussex NHS Trust
	Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust
	Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust
	Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust
	Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Health Care NHS Trust
	Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
	South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
	South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
	South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust
	South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust
	South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust
	Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust
	Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
	Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust
	St George's Healthcare NHS Trust
	St. Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust
	St Mary's NHS Trust
	Stockport NHS Foundation Trust
	Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
	Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust
	Tameside and Glossop Acute Services NHS Trust
	Taunton and Somerset NHS Trust
	The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust
	The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust
	The Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust
	The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust
	The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Trust
	The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust
	The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust
	The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust
	Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust
	United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust
	United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust
	University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
	University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust
	University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust
	University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
	University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
	University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust
	Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust
	Walton Centre For Neurology and Neurosurgery NHS Trust
	West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust
	West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust
	West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust
	Weston Area Health NHS Trust
	Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust
	Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust
	Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
	Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
	Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust
	Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust
	Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
	York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Medical Treatments Abroad: France

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions Ministers have had with their EU counterparts on the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council on  (a) the provision of healthcare to English nationals in France and  (b) electronic patient record-sharing across Europe.

Dawn Primarolo: Neither of these subjects was on the agenda of last weeks Employment, Social, Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council. In addition to regular meetings between officials there has been bilateral contact at ministerial level with the French Government about the provision of healthcare to United Kingdom nationals in France.
	There have been no recent discussions at ministerial level on electronic patient record—sharing across Europe.

Mental Health Services: Armed Forces

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the provision of healthcare by his Department to former servicemen and women with combat stress.

Ivan Lewis: The Department takes very seriously the health needs of our troops when they return from serving their country. From 1948, successive governments have been clear that healthcare for veterans is the responsibility of the national health service. We recently announced an extension of priority treatment provisions for veterans as well as the establishment, in partnership with the Ministry of Defence, of the first pilot projects aimed at making our mental health services more accessible to ex-service personnel.
	In addition, the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme will improve access to talking treatments to all victims of trauma, including those affected by combat experience. This programme has been funded by £170 million of new money and will eventually provide coverage to all parts of the country.

Methadone: Durham

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were prescribed methadone and other hard drug substitutes in  (a) County Durham and  (b) Easington constituency in each year since 2000.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available in the format requested. Dispensing data is collected by the number of prescription items and not by individuals. The following table contains figures for the number of prescriptions of methodone and buprenorphine in County Durham Primary Care Trust and predecessor organisations from 2003, the earliest full year in which information is available.
	
		
			   Methadone  Buprenorphine and buprenorphine with naloxone 
			 2003 12,478 1,386 
			 2004 17,433 2,298 
			 2005 21,598 3,579 
			 2006 25,130 6,588 
			  Notes/Sources:  Prescription information is taken from the Prescription Cost Analysis system, supplied by the Prescription Pricing Division of the Business Services Authority, and is based on a full analysis of all prescriptions dispensed in the community i.e. by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered in England. Also included are prescriptions written in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man but dispensed in England. The data do not cover drugs dispensed in hospitals, including mental health trusts, or private prescriptions. Prescription Items: prescriptions are written on a prescription form. Each single item written on the form is counted as a prescription item. County Durham Primary Care Trust (PCT) was formed in October 2006 from a merger of Durham Dales, Derwentside, Durham and Chester-le-Street, Easington and Sedgefield PCTs.

Midwives: Training

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwifery training places were commissioned in each academic year since 1997-98.

Ann Keen: Information on the number of student midwives in each academic year since 1997-98 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Diploma  Degree  Total pre-registration  Other  Grand total 
			 1997-08 572 224 796 908 1,704 
			 1998-09 597 255 852 899 1,751 
			 1999-2000 620 395 1,015 757 1,772 
			 2000-01 604 494 1,098 789 1,887 
			 2001-02 525 621 1,146 732 1,878 
			 2002-03 651 724 1,375 752 2,127 
			 2003-04 716 753 1,469 790 2,259 
			 2004-05 744 895 1,639 735 2,374 
			 2005-06 517 1042 1559 661 2220 
			 2006-07 540 983 1523 467 1990 
			  Source: Quarterly monitoring/financial and workforce information return

Midwives: Training

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which higher education institutions offer training in midwifery.

Ann Keen: Information on the higher education institutions, which offer training to student midwives, is not held by the Department. The Nursing and Midwifery Council is responsible for approving education institutions to run midwifery training programmes.

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence intends to publish a review of its guidance on Fertility: assessment and treatment for people with fertility problems, published on 25 February 2004.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) sets out a proposed review date when it publishes each new clinical guideline. We understand that the published review date for NICE's clinical guideline on "Fertility: assessment and treatment for people with fertility problems" is February 2008. At that point, NICE will take a view on whether the guideline requires an update. This will depend primarily on whether significant new information has become available since the guideline was originally published. If NICE decides that the guideline does not need to be updated, it will set out a new time scale for a future reassessment of the need for a review.

NHS: Managers

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total wage cost of employing managers in the NHS was in the latest period for which figures are available; and what it was in 1997.

Ann Keen: Total costs of employing managers in the national health service in 2006-07 was £2,088 million. The total cost in 1997-98 was £912 million.
	The figures include salaries and wages, national insurance and pension contributions. It is not possible to identify wages alone.
	 Source:
	Annual financial returns of health authorities and NHS trusts 1997-98.
	Annual financial returns of strategic health authorities, primary care trusts and NHS trusts 2006-07.
	Data does not include NHS foundation trusts in 2006-07.

Nurses: Pay

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average wage of nurses outside the NHS in  (a) the last year for which figures are available and  (b) 1997.

Ann Keen: No estimate has been made of the average wage of nurses outside the national health service in the last year for which figures are available and 1997. However, as part of its mandate, the independent NHS Pay Review Body compares NHS nurses pay with others as part of its deliberations in making recommendations about pay uplifts for NHS nurses.

Nutrition: Training

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date the inter-agency round table group met to raise issues around training, as described on page 17 of his Department's document, Improving Nutritional Care; what issues were raised; whether further meetings of the inter-agency round table group are planned; which agencies are represented on the round table group; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The inter-agency round table group is chaired by the National Association for Care Catering and as such is independent of Government. The membership of the group and dates and contents of meetings are a matter for them to decide.

Obesity

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date he expects the cross-government strategy to tackle obesity to be published.

Dawn Primarolo: The cross-Government strategy to tackle obesity will be published in January 2008.

Patients: Nutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 30 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1244W, on patients: nutrition, what the barriers to nutritional screening in hospitals identified in the two workshops hosted by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) were; in what ways the NPSA asked patients for their views on nutritional care in hospitals; what views were expressed by patients; and if he will provide a breakdown of the committed expenditure provided in the Answer by major cost area.

Ann Keen: The following barriers to nutritional screening within 24 hours of admission to hospital were identified by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) at the two workshops: lack of equipment, weighing scales and height measures; lack of leadership; lack of clarity relating to screening and assessment; dependency of patients; credibility and usability of available screening tools; lack of education and training for medical and nursing staff and that it is not mandatory.
	The NPSA hosted two patient participation meetings in early 2007 to gain their views of nutritional care in hospitals. 27 patient representatives either nominated by Age Concern or recruited from the NPSA patient participation register attended these meetings. All of the participants had been hospital inpatients in the last two years. The meetings were facilitated externally.
	The patient participation meetings discussed the patient's experience of hospital food and focused in more detail on nutritional screening. Perhaps the most surprising finding of these workshops was that participants did not generally complaint about the quality of the food. Many, indeed, said that it was very reasonable or even good.
	Several commented that hospital food had improved beyond all recognition, noting earlier experiences when the food had been inedible. There was a concern to acknowledge this improvement, one commented:
	"it used to be cold fish and stale cabbage smells—you don't get that now".
	There were some issues raised relating to the availability and choice for some patient groups, specifically diabetics and people on a halal diet.
	There were considerable complaints about the way the food was served. The tendency for the food to be plated before reaching patients in some hospitals was disliked, as some people got too much, which was then wasted, and others did not get enough and went hungry.
	Getting food delivered was seen as the start. It must be possible for patients to reach it and then to be able to eat it. This is clearly not always the case. Sometimes food was put out of reach, so that someone had to move it closer to a patient. A number of participants recounted that they or others were unable to eat without help due to problems associated with their illness.
	Participants were asked if they had been aware of being screened while in hospital. Some were aware of being weighed, but not much else. Several said that they had lost substantial amounts of weight, but no one asked them about it. A few were aware of their height being checked. Very, very few remembered being asked any questions about what they ate, although some Asian participants had been asked about this and one person remembered being asked if he was diabetic.
	The costs of the workshops were £2,500. The balance is an approximation of the staff and non-pay costs associated with supporting this work and the work with the Royal College of Nursing.

Peterborough District Hospital: Alcoholic Drinks

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many alcohol-related admissions to the accident and emergency department of Peterborough District Hospital by the East of England NHS Ambulance Trust and other agencies there were in each month since May 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Information is not available in the format requested. However, the following table shows the count of finished admission episodes where the admission method was via accident and emergency (A and E) for alcohol related diagnosis to Peterborough and Stamford NHS Foundation Trust for each month from April 2005 to March 2006 (which is the latest data available)
	
		
			  Month of admission  Total admission episodes 
			 April 66 
			 May 45 
			 June 66 
			 July 58 
			 August 63 
			 September 60 
			 October 63 
			 November 66 
			 December 58 
			 January 55 
			 February 36 
			 March 49 
			 Total: 685 
			  Notes:  Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Data Quality HES are compiled from data sent by over 300 national health service trusts and primary care trusts in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  All diagnoses count of episodes These figures represent a count of all Finished Consultant Episodes where the diagnosis was mentioned in any of the 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in a HES record. ICD10 Diagnosis codes used: K70,T51,F10.  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), the Information Centre for health and social care

Pressure Sores

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data are routinely collected by  (a) the Commission for Social Care Inspection and  (b) the Healthcare Commission on the prevalence and severity of bed sores.

Ivan Lewis: Under regulation 37 of the Care Homes Regulations 2001, care home providers are required to notify The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) of instances of 'death, illness and other events'. We are informed by CSCI that it has defined 'other events' as including notification of pressure sores of grade 2 or above occurring while resident in a care home, as these constitute a serious injury to the service user. Where such cases occur, providers must inform CSCI immediately (by fax, e-mail or first class post).
	This data is used for the purposes of intelligence gathering. Inspectors will note the number of instances reported and make a judgement about whether to specifically include this as a focus at next inspection. Where information gathered, including concerns about the incidence of pressure sores in a particular home, indicates any serious risk to the experience of people living there, inspectors may bring forward an inspection programme or conduct an unannounced inspection. This information is collected and used locally by CSCI and is not collated centrally.
	Information about pressure sores is not routinely collected by the Healthcare Commission.

Provider of Care Services

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether there are plans to review the Commission for Social Care Inspection's current practice of referring complaints from members of the public about a care provider back to the provider; how many complaints about a provider of care services are required before an inspection is triggered; and what assessment he has made of any changes in the role of the Commission for Social Care Inspection;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy that the Commission for Social Care Inspection should have to make an additional inspection of a care home assessed as requiring a three yearly inspection in cases where there have been significant levels of staff turnover.

Ivan Lewis: We have no plans to review the Commission for Social Care Inspection's role in complaints. We are informed by the Chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that the threshold for intervention by CSCI is not measured uniquely in terms of the number of complaints about a provider. It is one of a number of factors that CSCI take into account.
	CSCI has developed, through the inspection methodology, "Inspecting for Better Lives", a proportionate inspection framework based on risk. This enables CSCI to focus its resources on those homes that have been assessed as requiring the most improvement. Minimum inspection frequencies are based on quality ratings as follows:
	homes classified as 'poor' receive two key inspections per year;
	homes classified as 'adequate' receive one key inspection per year;
	homes classified as 'good' receive one key inspection every two years; and
	homes classified as 'excellent' receive one key inspection every three years;
	Even when a home is judged to be 'good' or 'excellent', it will continue to be monitored throughout the period and CSCI will act on any concerns, complaints or allegations. In addition to key inspections, which are thorough, detailed inspection, under which CSCI will assess all of the key national minimum standards, CSCI also carries out random and 'thematic' inspections, which are short, focused inspections on a specific theme or area.
	Annual Service Reviews are also conducted from information obtained from the home and a report produced on an annual basis. Reviews are an analysis of all information that CSCI has gathered since the last key inspection, information submitted each year from the service itself and information from surveys sent to people who use the service and other interested parties. The assessment will consider matters such as staff turnover; if any concerns are raised about how well outcomes are being met for the people who use the services, or if CSCI receives information that causes concern between reviews, it will bring forward the date of the key inspection of the service. CSCI retains the power to conduct an inspection of any home at any time.

Skin Cancer: Health Education

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has allocated to the Sunsmart campaign in each year from 2007-08 to 2010-11.

Dawn Primarolo: Cancer Research UK, which runs the SunSmart campaign on behalf of the United Kingdom Health Departments, has been awarded funding of £104,000 for 2007-08 by the Department (under the provisions of section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968). Also provisionally and subject to the availability of funds approved by Parliament £110,000 for 2008-09, and £115,000 for 2009-10.

Social Services: Personal Records

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what social care information the Information Centre for Health and Social Care has identified as being relevant at a  (a) national and  (b) local level, as stated on the our priorities for 2007-08 section of its website; and what progress the Information Centre has made in (i) providing a forum for sharing good practice across information specialists in social care, (ii) forging greater integration of social care and health information, (iii) setting appropriate standards for social care data collection and (iv) producing a publication on the state of the nation using all the Information Centre's sources of data on social care and other sources as appropriate.

Ivan Lewis: The publication of the New Performance Framework for Local Authorities and Local Authority Partnerships, in October, has led to a review of all the Information Centre for health and social care's (IC) social care data, with a view to establishing which social care information is used at national and/or at local level.
	The IC is currently engaging with stakeholders to establish a National Information and Intelligence Service. This will make better use of the extensive information resource available in locally managed systems and will provide the basis for integrated information in health and social care during 2008.
	Social care data collections undertaken by the IC are subject to stringent standards which are regularly reviewed and revised by the Strategic Information Group for Adult Social Care. A specific work programme has been established to review these and other arrangements for setting standards (by March 2008). A decision has been taken for the Information Standards Board, which currently operates across the national health service, to extend its remit to cover social care.
	The State of the Nation report will be available by the end of March 2008. It will outline the IC's social care data and set out a work programme for 2008-11.

Sport

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many officials in his Department work on policy on encouraging mass participation in sport.;
	(2)  what changes in the allocation of responsibilities for policy on sport between the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and his Department have taken place since he became Secretary of State;
	(3)  how much his Department plans to spend on encouraging mass participation in sport in 2007-08.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has an important role in promoting the benefits of physical activity for all as set out in the Chief Medical Officer's report 'At least five a week: Evidence on the impact of physical activity and its relationship to health'. We have worked closely with other Government Departments, including the Department for Culture Media and Sport, the Department for Children, Families and Schools and the Department for Transport to deliver the existing strategy for physical activity set out in 'Choosing Activity: a physical activity action plan'.
	While competitive sport contributes significantly to physical activity levels across the population, encouraging mass participation in sport has hitherto fallen within the remit of Sport England.
	HM Treasury has asked the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, to develop a new strategy for Sport England. Ministers have also agreed to work closely over the next few months to ensure that all relevant Government Departments are working together to deliver a physical activity strategy for all. Any changes in responsibilities for policy on physical activity, including the promotion of mass participation in sport would emerge from this work.
	The Department has no plans to fund work to encourage mass participation in sport in 2007-08, however we are providing funding of £97,000 to the Amateur Swimming Association under the section 64 Scheme of Grants for a project that promotes swimming for health.

STDs

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 3rd December 2007, Official Report, column 1015W, on sexually transmitted diseases, if he will break down the figures supplied by age-group.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested for genitor urinary clinics (GUM) is published by age bands in 'Diagnoses and rates of selected STIs seen in GUM clinics: 2002-2006 National and Strategic Health Authority Level Summary tables'. A copy has been placed in the Library. Similar information for the national Chlamydia screening programme has also be placed in the Library.

Surgery: Eastern Region

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS operations were cancelled in each primary care trust in the East of England as a result of  (a) administrative errors,  (b) shortages of beds,  (c) outbreaks of MRSA or other hospital-acquired infections,  (d) unavailability of correct or clean equipment and  (e) missing notes in each year since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: The information is not held in the format requested. The Department collects data on the number of operations cancelled at the last minute for non-clinical reasons for acute trusts in the East of England for the period 1997-98 to 2006-07 and the first quarter of 2007-08. The following table shows data for the number of operations cancelled for non-clinical reasons, national health service organisations in the East of England, 1997-98 to 2006-07 and the first quarter of 2007-08.
	
		
			  Cancelled operations for non clinical reasons, NHS organisations in East of England, 2001-02 to 2006-07 and quarter 1 2007-08 
			  Number of last minute cancellations for non clinical reasons 
			  Organisation identification  Name  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 quarter 1 
			  England 50,505 56,150 60,242 77,818 81,743 67,254 66,303 68,569 60,803 52,005 12,492 
			  
			 RDD Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust — — — — 213 212 266 286 278 169 37 
			 RC1 Bedford Hospital NHS Trust — — — — 793 152 180 201 190 208 38 
			 RGT Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust — — — — 624 645 769 1,090 507 460 108 
			 RWH East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust — — — — 345 266 557 505 856 682 180 
			 RDE Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust — — — — 444 741 815 800 439 172 62 
			 RQQ Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust — — — — 377 179 180 168 138 133 43 
			 RGQ Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust — — — — 506 417 488 533 384 355 129 
			 RGP James Paget Healthcare NHS Trust — — — — 322 176 258 267 226 140 32 
			 RC9 Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Trust — — — — 379 208 171 169 173 186 26 
			 RQ8 Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust — — — — 264 419 470 447 370 257 113 
			 RM1 Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust — — — — 217 662 569 492 327 332 99 
			 RGM Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust — — — — 168 185 166 159 154 167 25 
			 RGN Peterborough and Stamford NHS Foundation Trust — — — — 505 253 187 270 298 262 92 
			 RAJ Southend Hospital NHS Trust — — — — 400 509 691 1,007 869 472 98 
			 RQW The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust — — — — 493 323 262 213 311 293 61 
			 RWG West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust — — — — 562 244 815 666 621 929 234 
			 RGR West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust — — — — 362 194 425 585 275 225 36 
			 QA6 Bedfordshire HA 347 457 368 694 — — — — — — — 
			 QER Cambridgeshire HA 974 1,037 1449 1,467 — — — — — — — 
			 QEP East and North Hertfordshire HA 426 569 532 490 — — — — — — — 
			 QCA East Norfolk HA 169 246 — — — — — — — — — 
			 QET Norfolk HA — — 796 824 — — — — — — — 
			 QAX North Essex HA 700 1,000 1,266 1,246 — — — — — — — 
			 QCD North West Anglia HA 402 826 — — — — — — — — — 
			 QAY South Essex HA 767 1,260 1,045 1,299 — — — — — — — 
			 QCF Suffolk Health 624 592 509 955 — — — — — — — 
			 QEQ West Hertfordshire HA 142 255 214 425 — — — — — — — 
			  Notes: 1. The table shows the organisations as they existed, at the time of each collection. 2. A last minute cancellation is one that occurs on the day the patient was due to arrive, after they have arrived in hospital or on the day of their operation.  3. Some common non-clinical reasons for cancellations by the hospital include: ward beds unavailable; surgeon unavailable; emergency case needing theatre; theatre list over-ran; equipment failure; admin error; anaesthetist unavailable; theatre staff unavailable; and critical care bed unavailable. 4. An operation which is rescheduled to a time within 24 hours of the original scheduled operation should be recorded as a postponement and not as a cancellation. The QMCO collection does not record the number of postponements.  Source: Department of Health dataset QMCO

Council Housing: Debts

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the historic debt outstanding against council house construction was in each year since 1990 in  (a) cash terms and  (b) as a proportion of the public sector borrowing requirement; and what the projection for these figures is, including borrowing supported by arms-length management organisations.

Iain Wright: Data on historic debt outstanding against council house construction is not available, as local authorities do not differentiate the uses to which their capital borrowing for housing is put between, for instance, new build, capital repairs, capital improvements or refurbishments.
	The net amount of borrowing on council housing since 1993-94, as well as the proportion of public sector net borrowing that this represents for each year, is set out in the following table. Net, rather than gross figures are given for the value of housing debt in order to provide a comparison with the measure of public sector borrowing—this is expressed as a net figure and is negative where debt repayment exceeds borrowing for that year.
	
		
			   HRA Borrowing (£)  Public sector net borrowing (PSBN) (£)  HRA Borrowing/PSBN (Percentage) 
			 1993-94 347,455,678 51,054,000,000 0.68 
			 1994-95 431,792,337 43,271,000,000 1.00 
			 1995-96 -170,209,016 34,713,000,000 -0.49 
			 1996-97 -435,801,552 27,170,000,000 -1.60 
			 1997-98 -504,249,410 6,374,000,000 -7.91 
			 1998-99 -678,146,182 4,017,000,000 16.88 
			 1999-2000 -542,751,024 16,251,000,000 3.34 
			 2000-01 -880,453,782 19,896,000,000 4.43 
			 2001-02 -14,679,989 921,000,000 -1.59 
			 2002-03 -1,166,619,645 24,916,000,000 -4.68 
			 2003-04 -2,415,662,009 34,094,000,000 -7.09 
			 2004-05 -1,120,419,927 39,189,000,000 -2.86 
			 2005-06 418,022,901 37,516,000,000 1.11 
			 2006-07 1,212,183,164 35,848,615,071 3.38 
			  Notes: 1. From 2001-02 onwards the Department did not collect data on local authority borrowing for council housing from those authorities with no notional housing debt (used in calculating HRA subsidy entitlement) 2. Negative housing debt is an indication that housing authorities were repaying more debt than they were incurring. Negative PSBN is occasionally negative for the same reason but at a national level. 3. The figures are unaudited and based on claims submitted by local authorities. 4. Pre 1993-94 data is only available at disproportionate cost. 5. 2007-08 data is not available as the financial year is not finished yet. 6. Projections for future years are not available.

Offenders: Unemployment

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how the piloting of withdrawal of benefits from unemployed offenders who do not comply with the terms of a community order made under section 177 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 is being monitored; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The piloting of the withdrawal of benefits from unemployed offenders was thoroughly monitored and evaluated between 2001-05 and the results of this process contributed to the formal assessment of the pilots. Advice about the future of the pilots, which includes the findings of that assessment, is currently under consideration. Monitoring is therefore currently suspended until a decision has been made.

Prisoners

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the likely change in the number of people who will be sent to prison in the first 12 months after the abolition of suspended sentences.

David Hanson: Suspended sentences are not being abolished. Suspended sentence order for summary—only offences are being abolished. We expect this will mean 400 offenders being given alternative non-custodial penalties over the next two years.

Young Offenders: Learning Disability

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the proportion of young offenders who have significant communication difficulties which prevent them from engaging in educational programmes.

Ivan Lewis: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not available centrally.
	Research conducted by Professor Karen Bryan in partnership with HM Prison Service (University of Surrey 2004) found that 60 per cent. of young offenders screened on entering custody were identified as having difficulties with speech, language and communication.
	All young offenders receive health screening on reception into prison and in addition will be screened for their educational needs. A general learning needs induction and assessment process is used to help identify learning difficulties and disabilities. As part of this process, education staff are expected to identify concerns about a prisoner's speech and language capability. Where such problems are identified, either as a result of the health screen or the education screen, a referral to an appropriate health professional would be expected to be made.
	All young people in custody are required by the Youth Justice Board to participate in education and training. Teaching professionals work with young offenders in small classes to help ensure they receive education which meets their personal needs. special educational needs coordinators are employed in each young offender institution to assist in meeting the personal needs of young people and to help them get the most from their education in custody.